Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mooring apparatus and more particularly to apparatus, including anti-theft mechanism, for securely mooring a vehicle or vessel such as a boat.
Unattended vehicles or vessels, such as boats, which are moored for extended periods of time, are prime subjects of theft. For example, boats, which are moored at cottages that might be visited only on weekends, can easily be untied from normal moorings and carried or driven away. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mooring system for not only mooring a boat but one which will provide additional security to inhibit theft.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mooring system which will provide increased security against tampering.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide morring apparatus which includes anti-theft mechanism to preclude unauthorized removal of a mooring line from a mooring post.
Apparatus constructed according to the present invention includes a flexible mooring line, coupled to a boat, having rigid or stiffened pins at the terminal ends thereof which are received in apertures provided in a crossbar that is fixed atop a support post. The lower end of the support post is suitably implanted in the floor of the body of water in which the boat is floating. A cover, detachably secured atop the post to conceal the ends of the line, is positioned such that the line cannot be removed from the crossbar until the cover is detached from the post.
Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide mooring apparatus of the type described which includes a security cover for selectively preventing removal of the ends of a mooring line from ground embedded anchoring apparatus. The following United States Patents are cited as being of interest to this construction although none of the patents, taken singly or in combination disclose applicant's construction:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO PATENTEE ISSUE DATE ______________________________________ 224,083 S. M. Furman Feb. 03, 1880 458,737 J. Massey Sep. 01, 1891 2,084,239 B. H. Bradford Jun. 15, 1937 2,360,199 C. J. Cawley Oct. 10, 1944 3,054,583 J. F. Deye Sep. 18, 1962 3,349,745 L. A. Berg Oct. 31, 1967 3,455,270 J. Mascenik et al Jul. 15, 1969 3,495,565 E. V. Gustavii Feb. 17, 1970 ______________________________________
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds.